Order restored in Dili, ABRI gives out details

Order restored in Dili, ABRI gives out details

DILI, East Timor (JP): Order was restored at the state-run
East Timor University yesterday after a day of commotion on
Thursday which had its origins in a student demonstration.

The college entrance test, which was stopped by the commotion,
resumed uninterrupted yesterday.

Meanwhile, the local police said that 15 people were detained
following the commotion but had all been released yesterday
without facing charges.

Similarly, all the 11 people brought to the hospital because
of injuries had been released by yesterday morning.

"There were no deaths at all," East Timor Police Chief Lt.
Col. Andreas Sugianto told The Jakarta Post by phone.

The injuries were sustained when some of the demonstrators
tried to jump over a barbed wire fence during the commotion,
Andreas said.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, the Armed Forces (ABRI) issued a
statement to clarify the situation in East Timor and the
background surrounding the incident, to rectify the
misperceptions that have been developing.

The ABRI Information Center acknowledged that Dili had
recently seen a number of demonstrations by East Timor youths and
students who are targeting the local government.

These protests were initially peaceful, but because of the
influence of "certain irresponsible parties", they turned brutal.
Apparently, injuries were sustained when the authorities tried to
take preventive measures.

The first protest occurred on June 28 during a ceremony to
mark the anniversary of the Remaxio Roman Catholic church.

A number of ABRI members, who were in the area for a road
construction project, were invited to attend but those who were
not Catholics were requested to stay outside the church during
the holy ritual.

However, two ABRI members, out of curiosity, decided to sneak
in and this upset many people who saw it as an affront. This
prompted them to protest, demanding that their religion be
respected.

Public apology

Col. Jhony Lumintang, the chief of the East Timor military
command, has already made a public apology regarding the incident
and promised to investigate and punish the responsible soldiers,
according to a statement.

The second major demonstration occurred on Thursday at the
East Timor University. It took place when four men, including a
student, a jobless person and two plainclothes officers were
mobbed by a group of students who accused them of molesting two
nuns who were taking the entrance tests.

Later investigation found that the four men were victims of
slander and that the molesters were actually three East Timor
youths, but rumors continued to circulate.

On Thursday, some 250 youths gathered in the campus and were
planning to march on the East Timor Legislature, some carrying
posters one of which read "Viva Xanana Gusmao", a reference to
the jailed East Timor separatist leader.

The authorities tried to contain the youths within the campus
and this was when the commotion occurred because the youths
insisted on marching, according to the statement.

Of the 15 youths interrogated, 10 turned out to be flunkies
who said they had no idea about the motivation for the protests,
it said. (prs/yac)